Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is best known for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves and biological diversity. Almost 95 percent of the park is designated wilderness, which is defined by the Wilderness Act of 1964 as, "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."

First protected in 1864, Yosemite was central to the development of the National Parks system.

During a quick springtime stop in the Yosemite Valley, Yahoo News photographer Gordon Donovan grabbed a few photos and discovered a place that requires several days to capture all of the park's beauty. (Yahoo News)